FEATURE: Slow Decades – A Look Back At 2017

The indie music makers talk us through their 2017

By NARC.
on Wednesday, December 27th, 2017

2017 has been a rather interesting year. We’ve been lucky enough to fill our pages with some incredible creative talent, so we asked a few of them to share some thoughts on the year just gone. We caught up with indie music makers Slow Decades to find out a little about their year.

So, how was your 2017?
This has been one of the nicest years to be in this band, I think. We put a record out in March that we’re dead proud of and played some really great shows. We’ve really enjoyed each others’ company this year.

What was your best moment?
Launching Hinterlands at the Cumberland Arms in March with Endless Window was great- I was really over-awed and grateful of the response on the night. Supporting Luke Haines in May was a real bucket list moment for me too- I’ve been a big fan of his work since I was a precocious teenager. Evolution Emerging deserves a mention for being bloody lovely to us as well.

And your worst moment?
For me, all in the personal and professional realm- our little band has been a lovely respite from that. Opening a newspaper has been a broadly glum experience this year, too.

Your favourite band of the year?
Outside Your House put out a corker of a record this year in Gallant Encounters. It’s been a joy to listen to and watch them play this this year. I think they are wonderful. Honourable mentions to Glasgow’s Life Model and The Netherlands’ The Homesick- a disgustingly young bunch of lads excelling in melodic, acerbic claustrophobic rock in the style of Deerhunter and Preoccupations.

Your favourite song of the year?
I’ve had Warm Digits’ The Rumble and The Tremor stuck in my head since it came out. They’ve been absolutely jaw-dropping live this year as well. I’m going to go with that.

Favourite TV of the year?
Nathan For You and The Eric Andre Show have both achieved and excelled Chris Morris- levels of satirical brilliance this year. New Curb has also been pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Your favourite film?
Get Out.

Favourite venue of the year?
Locally- The Cumberland Arms and the Cluny take some beating. Pop Recs is doing a good, good thing in Sunderland. Nationally- Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club- the best small venue in the country, if not the world!

What was your favourite gig of the year?
Some of us saw David Thomas Broughton at the Cumberland at the start of December and he absolutely blew our heads off. Richard Dawson’s album launch and Grandaddy at Hoults Yard back in April were very, very special moments that will live long in the memory too.

What gifts are on your letter to Santa this year?
Socks, sultanas, and Labour majority government.

And finally, what has 2018 got in store for you?
We’ve got a crackin’ (if I may say so myself) bunch of new tunes we’re really looking forward to committing to tape. Dunno what form that’ll take or when people will get to hear them- we’ll only release them into the wild when they’ve got us frothing at the mouth! But I think we’ll have something out at some point next year.